14 Feb Consultation Event: Redevelopment of Torpoint Road, Kingswear Road & the College Site on Marksbury Road

I'm going to drop in to this consultation event (details from the organisers copied below), to represent the neighbourhood Transition group (Sustainable Knowle) I coordinate. I've had some contact with the organisers already and have forwarded to them some particular areas where I have questions: is there a relationship to the Area Green Space Plan process; can new green spaces be created and/or existing ones improved; is 'mixed development' possible; how green will building standards be; any 'special' features possible eg use of rainwater collected, or 'super-insulation'; affordable/social housing...

Consultation Event: Redevelopment of Torpoint Road, Kingswear Road & the College Site on Marksbury Road

Date: 14th February 2009Time: 11am-3pm (this is a walk-in event)

Location: City of Bristol College, Marksbury Road, Bedminster, Bristol BS3 5JL

Contact: Sean Griffiths, 02072516735, sean@fat.co.uk

Description: Meet the team to discuss proposals for the development of Kingswear Road, Torpoint Road and the College Site at Marksbury Road. Bristol City Council, Knightstone Housing Association and the Homes and Communities Agency have employed architects FAT to come up with ideas for the redevelopment of the site. There is potential to provide new homes and new community facilities. Before work starts on the design proposals we would like to hear your views on the area.

Totterdown Residents Environmental and Social Action

I've been looking over the website of Totterdown Residents Environmental and Social Action (TRESA) after picking up their newsletter The Talk of Totterdown locally. Its a very intersting organinsation currently active issues like walking, cycling, plastic bags, planning, parks and open spaces, built environment...One issue I'm supporting them on is their campaign for a better route for pedestrians and cyclists along the A4 Bath and Wells Roads from Temple Meads into Totterdown and then Knowle (you can sign the online petition here).

TRESA is certainly one good model for local community groups to look at and learn from, including the Sustainable Knowle group I'm involved with (originally called the Campaign for the Achievement of a Sustainable Knowle) which has begun meeting regularly in recent months. I had some brief and helpful contact with TRESA when I first started thinking about setting up a community-based sustainability and quality of life group in Knowle.

Knowle sustainability and quality of life group: success!

As you may have noticed in the right hand column my pledge to start a group called the Campaign for the Achievement of a Sustainable Knowle (CASK) has succeeded in reaching its target of 10 people, though of course more can still sign up! We will continue to spread the word (any locals interested in helping or finding out more please email me!), meet up as a group asap and make some initial plans. Many thanks to the people who have signed up in support, to work on areas like: lobbying for far better, cheaper public transport; much better cycling and pedestrian provision; protecting, enhancing and if possible increasing Knowle's open, green, natural spaces; pushing for the retention and improvement of locally available facilities, services, and jobs; education for sustainable living; promoting local energy saving and the micro-generation of energy; arguing for more local, ethical and organic food availability; encouraging home and allotment grown food; people taking personal responsibility to be more environmentally-friendly; and promoting broad based public participation in community life.

http://www.pledgebank.com/

http://www.pledgebank.com/yesCASK

Launch of my pledge to create a local group called the Campaign for Achievement of a Sustainable Knowle (CASK)

Readers living locally may be interested in my pledge to 'start a group called the Campaign for the Achievement of a Sustainable Knowle (CASK) in my area of Bristol'.

Simply by clicking http://www.pledgebank.com/yesCASK (or texting ‘pledge yesCASK’ to 60022 - UK only - or by signing this pledge in Facebook ) you can show that you're ready to start making a difference, along with other like-minded people. My pledge will close on 6th February 2009 and it only needs the support of 10 people before it succeeds and goes into action.

More details on what the group is all about:

CASK would aim to assess the local area and establish exactly what changes are needed to make Knowle environmentally and socially sustainable. It would then campaign to find effective and practical ways to achieve those changes in the interest of the security, stability and quality of life. Lobbying for far better, cheaper public transport; much better cycling and pedestrian provision; protecting, enhancing and if possible increasing Knowle's open, green, natural spaces; pushing for the retention and improvement of locally available facilities, services, and jobs; education for sustainable living; promoting local energy saving and the micro-generation of energy; arguing for more local, ethical and organic food availability; encouraging home and allotment grown food; people taking personal responsibility to be more environmentally-friendly; and promoting broad based public participation in community life, are all likely areas of work.

http://www.pledgebank.com/ is a site set up to give power to YOU, by allowing you to ensure that others will support your actions. If you have ever wanted to make a difference, but haven't known where to start and who will join you, visit PledgeBank now: http://www.pledgebank.com/

Thank you for your support!